-

Classification :: Faction
Headquarters :: Le Citoyen Bellegarrigue, Capital Ship
Reach :: Surface // Global / Interstellar

The République Stellarienne is the dominant political and military superstate rising from the ashes of the Old Terran Orders. Born in revolution and tempered by centuries of insurrection, it has forged itself into a transstellar power defined by militant egalitarianism, radical technocracy, and a ceaseless drive toward expansion. It governs through a triumvirate of People's Assemblies, Revolutionary Tribunals, and Commissariats of the Will—each ensuring that no citizen forgets the cost of liberty or the price of complacency.

Natives to Orst, these surface-dwellers brave the harsh overworld and revere its raw, natural strength. Their fur is short and colored according to their environment: Gray in mountainous areas, white in snowy mountains and tundras, or blue in coastal and near-coastal areas. They average 7 feet tall with a few burly brutes reaching over 8 feet. Despite their strength, they tend to have less overtly attenuated muscles owing to their fur and the cold-shielding blubber of some.


Cat-orcs. That's what the Skogatti amount to in the eyes of so many across Orst. Not that they particularly resemble cats besides their tails, claws, and sleek faces and bodies, but they display all the strong-headed boasting and warring of an orcish nuisance. At the same time, there's more to them than scrapping and skirmishing: Some Skogatti are capable of stoking the supernatural and otherworldly forces that pervade the world.

Organization — Tribes, each having their own Prowl in some forest, tundra, or mountainous region. The tribes are split into clans; one clan reigns over the rest.

• Technology — Very little. They have not yet worked out anything approximating an Industrial Revolution. Compromising their capacity for tech is a dearth of creativity and guile, which others chalk up to a deficit in intelligence. They know of metalworking, but only use it for weapons, tools, and jewelry; No advanced construction methods.
• Magic — They may rely on spirits, but not all magic is through them. Rituals give the Skogatti a gateway into performing the impossible. The Earth Riders tribe holds supremacy in ritualwork.
• Religion — Shamanism permeates their whole culture. Proficient warriors will seek out spirits rather than tinker and advance technologically. Luddites as they are, they believe the chaotic natural world is as it should be, and attempts to conform it to one's own predilections will only end in mass death.

The most creatively inclined Skogatti become shamans, revered for their spirit-calling that lets them control powerful forces beyond the mundane. Entire natural disasters have been formed by the greatest shamans -- and many more like to make claim to contributing towards those disasters, themselves directing spirit beasts as loyal minions or forming weapons of energy to bypass simple defenses.

Their weapons and tools are never more than stone, wood, and the occasional steel piece salvaged or traded for. By and large, Skogatti lack the creativity and creational capacity for complicated technologies -- it's a curse that impedes their species, thought by many Skogatti as a literal curse. What they can't create, they simply steal.


Each tribe keeps to its own Prowl, unless they're trying to take another tribe's territory. As the name suggests, they prowl and stalk their borders to patrol for invaders of all species. Only Skogatti are allowed in Prowls. This does not mean they won't trade or send barterers and messengers to marketplaces.

List of Tribes*:

• Earth Riders: The Earth Riders clan laid claim to the Moving Island not too long after it first settled in the sea, and have since grown into a large and prosperous tribe in their own right. In addition, their current oracle Tirir is perhaps the most adept Skogatti priestess -- when she's lucid. The one clan comprises the entire tribe. Most of their fighting ends up being infighting.
• Stone Mounters: The deadliest of the bunch. They confine themselves to forests and mountains west of the Ténèmarais. Many appear in battle riding stone beasts, "chariots", or so on, animated by magic; they're historically the most apt with spirit-calling. The Knife Fingers clan is the ruling family, boasting powerful fighters wielding even more powerful aura-based magics; they earned their name from their signature enhanced claw strikes. Unlike most tribes, their unique location led to them coming in all three common coat-colors: Blue, gray, and white.
• Rift Jumpers: Living in the Ténèmarais itself, the Rift Jumpers keep a safe but variable distance from the Mold, a hazard they view as godlike. The most well-rounded both magically and physical, their clans are named after the manner in which they live: The Haze Breathers formed a quasi-symbiotic relationship with the bio-metallurgic termites known to that region, while the Corpse Cloaker clan have made base inside the hollowed trunk of a mangrove which those termites has evacuated, claiming they drove it out using their might. No single clan can be said to rule the Rift Jumper tribe.
• Salt-Hide: The tribe of Salt-Hide lives north of the Rift Jumpers. They also take to the waters more than any tribe. Their ruling clan, Coral-Armor, lives in a submerged fortress of reefs and caves. Other clans make do with pirating, albeit via animals, board- or body-surfing, and canoes instead of robust ships.
• Snow Reavers: The chilly counterpart to the Rift Jumpers, these Skogatti pay tribute to the Hungering Veil. They span the eastern half of the south, camouflaging in the snow. Many are known to embark on journeys to Hom or to attempt a pilgrimage past the Hungering Veil to live on its west, due to their shrinking territory. Many of the latter perish.

*Not an exhaustive list of tribes by any means; will grow as time goes on.

Name: Karis T'amor

Physical Description: Karis is extremely well-built. His mass is kept in check by his desire to remain athletic and mobile. As such, his rippling muscles are not so enormous that he is little more than a sluggish brute, though they are still notably intimidating. Paired with his piercing steel blue gaze, he often does not have to resort to violence immediately to cow citizens into submission. Short green hair clings to the top of his head, almost appearing like a dull jade skullcap when viewed from afar. He has skin that is a deep shade of brown, weathered by time and tribulations alike. His mouth's default expression is a firm line, which his thin lips emphasize, although occasionally a grim smile or decisive frown will turn his lips up or down. The rest of his head is thick, almost blocky, and his jaw is square enough to deflect a punch.

Personality Description: The former Enforcer is shaped by years of cruel experience inflicted both on him and on others. He views the universe with a mix of skepticism and bitterness, barely spending the minimum required time for prayers to Wrryl to remain socially accepted. Outside of his lack of devotion, Karis is characterized by an ambition to escape the monotony of a normalized life, willing to take risks to earn greater fortune and climb the ladder of command. He lacks self-awareness, perhaps a fatal flaw but one that is encouraged by the warriors he lives among. The use of overwhelming force and intimidation are his go-to methods.

Skills, powers and abilities:
More Machine Than Man: Even before he became a Herald, Karis served for many decades as an Enforcer within his home fleet. It was brutal, punishing work - keeping the overlord’s peace required constant vigilance and violence. Injuries and promotions alike required him to enhance his body with the best physical components the fleet could offer. His bones are laced with Vitae metal, his teeth are a durable plastic, and his musculature is genetically modified to be denser and stronger than a normal humanoid’s. All of his organs are more compact, each of them performing at peak levels. Neural wiring has recently been added along with the surgical extraction of unnecessary organs to make way for his newly installed Artificial Intelligence. Both eyes are artificial, fully upgraded with increased range of vision and spectrums of observation.

Artificial Intelligence: Karis has an onboard AI installed, the host of which is housed in his brain but the greater network of it lies in his chest cavity. His extensive cybernetics and enhanced biology has allowed for more space to be carved out for the AI’s integration. The primary function of the AI is analytics, assisting in disseminating information, assisting accuracy, and relaying battle tactics all at lightning speed. It can find weaknesses in an enemy that they did not know existed, and is particularly adept in subversion as described below.

Subversion: The pinnacle of technology is being able to build off the foundation of others, and surpass them in it. A Herald’s mission lies in harnessing the power of a planet against itself. Through repetitive research and innovation they can replicate the technology of an observed species, and mimic cultural traits and icons to make way for infiltration and recruitment.

Character Equipment:
“Glint” Tactical Armor: The Herald’s doctrine requires stealth over force at the onset of their machinations, and as such Karis is only equipped with light armaments and armor rather than the more extraordinary powered armor he would have had access to while still an Enforcer. A full piece of interlocked Mortem plating covers his upper torso, waist, and groin, with connective woven Vitae mesh at the joints that lead to vambraces on his forearms and greaves on his shins. At Karis’ request his armor also has a pair of gauntlets that connect to his vambraces with the same flexible mesh, and the fingertips and knuckles have been specially treated to become hardened. A full helmet connects with the breastplate, shielding the Enforcer’s face and identity behind a dark sheen of a plastic visor.
The armor’s defenses extend beyond just the physical - it also possesses the ability to change color, allowing for low-level camouflage, and shields the bearer from certain extra-sensory levels of detection such as infrared. There are no systems to allow for increased movement, but his helmet does have an advanced filtration system, and there are a number of mechanical tools secured in the pouches and pockets on his person.

Light Rail Pistol: As far as one-handed weapons go, this pistol's size belies the extent of its power. Roughly half a foot long along the barrel, with a rear-loading chamber, this rail pistol is capable of launching a dense slug at high velocity, offering accuracy over long distances as well as armor penetrating power.

Hand Shotgun: When it comes time for a short-range weapon that has the most vicious output possible, this gun is Karis' first choice. A single barrel extends a full two feet forward, with a pistol-style grip, and utilizes a breech loader. There are several different shells that it is capable of firing - a small series of micro-explosives, for example, or ball of mono-filament wire that lashes out at anything in its path.

Shock Mace: A weapon kept from his days as an Enforcer, this four-foot Mortem cudgel excels at doling out blunt force trauma. The rod’s handle is wrapped in rubber to protect the wielder from the electric current that can be channeled through it, coming to a focal point at the flanged head itself.

Mono-filament Whip: a spool of wire that can be stored within one of his vambraces, this is a more recent addition to Karis’ arsenal and is primarily used as a garrotte. However, he can run an electric current through it to force it to hold rigidity or shape, allowing for a greater range of use.

Character History:
Karis was raised to be part of a war machine. His basic curriculum was a vast history of violent conquest, the acquisition of necessary resources at any cost, and obedience to the might of authority. As a child the principles of an inscrutable god never appealed to him, nor did he resonate with the proud traditions of his fleet’s cultural heritage. He saw what his parents achieved through their strength as adults - they were bigger than him, which meant he had to follow their rules. As he grew in size, so did his adherence to one rule above all others: power alone is the only justification you need. If you have that, you can take what you want.

Amongst his people this did not put him at odds with anyone. It was their way to take and take, and not give anything back. They had started with a single world ship and grown into an armada over the years. None of this was through peaceful negotiations. Even the technology they had gained from their predecessors was won through contests and challenges. Their numbers were bolstered by what they consumed, their collections ranging from people to planets to stars.

No, among them Karis was not an outlier. He was bred for this, born into the mold of a cruel, brutish cog. Each passing year saw him pushing himself harder to surpass the limitations of his physical prowess, striving to score higher on academic marks to earn placement within the upper echelons of the fleet’s military. He would become an officer, then climb the ranks to become a general, and then higher still to vie for his own captaincy.

In all this he failed.

While he was an excellent combatant, his aptitude for strategy and innovation was limited. His youth made him reckless at times, and so he fell further and further behind his peers who were more patient and cunning. The overlord still had uses for bruisers like him, thankfully, and though he did not land where he desired he was still able to be given the rank of Enforcer within his own home ship. Karis took to the job with relish: the overlord was the strongest of all, and so to carry out his will gave him a sense of agency. Any who defied curfew, protested food reallocations, shirked work shifts, snuck into facilities, stole weaponry - they would all be beaten, shackled, and imprisoned, or die resisting.

It was a harsh life that took a greater toll on Karis, stripped him of what little empathy he had. It was not enough to sate him, either. There was still more he wanted to take, still more to be had. It was no coincidence that after a time he learned of a program within the fleet that was used to bring new planets into their empire. The bureaucracy of the fleet was not ignorant of what this Enforcer had become. They had monitored him since his first application, watched his actions, and knew that they had cultivated an ideal candidate for the Heralds. He was a loner by nature, not attached to the fleet itself, and was only loyal to their power. He was willing to be a weapon in their name if he would gain from it, and so he was suited to be another kind of instrument.

His induction was brief and simple. There was a planet he would be deployed to, one that was enormous and possessed an array of resources and technology that could be harvested. If he was successful he would be able to keep all that he reaped, and more.

-

Name: Thalen Vaelor
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Native or Interloper: Interloper



Thalen is a tall, broad shouldered man who carries himself with a sense of nobility. Good posture lends itself to his imposing size. Shoulder length black hair is often pulled back in a tail, while his body is most often clad in leather armor, whose color he seems able to change with the environment around him. Throughout the armor resides runes of various shapes and sizes - many of them fashioned in a language he doesn’t comprehend. An imposing figure in many ways, Thalen’s stoic attitude is revealed in the way he stands and carries himself.

Unique Powers/Traits:

Attributes - Thalen’s physical capabilities are well beyond what one might expect of another person his size.

Pyschometry - Through the use of touch and the latent abilities presented in him from birth, Thalen is capable of touching an object or a person and gleaning - from objects - their history, where they come from how they’re made, and how to properly use them. In people, this gives him access to their thoughts and recent memories.

Swordsmanship - Thalen is a swordsman of some renown where he comes from.

Leadership - Thalen is a natural leader, born to it one might say. As the descendent of kings, overthrown before his time, he’s a natural leader and people tend to pull themselves (willingly or otherwise) beneath his banner.

-- As an aside note, Thalen's armor is extremely magical in nature, enchanted by his late wife with various runes of magic and spell effects activatable by touch for some, thought for others.

Orst Relevant History

After the death of his wife, Thalen wandered. Hearing rumors of a woman on a distant world with his last name, calling herself Ouran and a description that tugs at his heart. He determines to investigate.